When a new integrated circuit is received from a supplier, the integrated circuit may be tested over a range of temperatures to verify that the integrated circuit operates properly across the range of temperatures. The range of temperatures during testing may be from room ambient temperature to elevated temperatures (e.g., 125° C.).
The integrated circuit is tested at different temperatures by heating the integrated circuit. In one approach, the integrated circuit and test probes for testing the integrated circuit are placed inside a thermal chamber and the thermal chamber is heated to a target temperature. The integrated circuit is allowed to soak inside the thermal chamber for about 30 minutes to ensure that the integrated circuit reaches the target temperature. In many cases, the integrated circuit is a few degrees off the chamber temperature, which makes it difficult to accurately control temperature of the integrated circuit during testing. Also, the elevated temperatures in the thermal chamber may damage the test probes used for testing the integrated circuit.